Relax, it’s just work.

Something happened to us that shouldn’t have happened. Decades ago, we were sold the idea that progress and technological revolution would free us from unwanted labour. We were promised large chunks of time to ourselves, following our passions and pursuing our hobbies. Many philosophers of the early 20th century sincerely worried about how a three-hour workday would impact our mental health.

It’s 2022, and things are not the way we imagined. Yes, we have access to all information we could think of in a split second, literally at our fingertips. Yes, more people die in the U.S. from obesity than hunger (a statistic that doesn’t cease to awe me). We’re armed with a technological stack that allows us to do, make, think, create, record, and analyse — like never before in history.

It would seem: “Great! The prophecy has come true. We can now enjoy a creative and worry-free existence.”

But that’s not the case.

The truth is, we work ourselves to the bone. It has become a badge of honour to say that “you’re swamped.” (And a sign of slack if you say you’re having a pleasant, worry-free time at work.) We put hustlers and douchebags with dollar signs in their eyes on the pedestal. We have mental health practitioners come to physical and virtual offices to help employees manage stress, anxiety, and overwork. Bookstores are stacked with productivity books; Medium is full of financial and work advice columns. Instead of enjoying the fruits of progress, humans found themselves in perpetual dread and FOMO.